Might as well
by Asuhole
Summary: Rin hires a babysitter to look after his little sister and brother, Gou and Riku. However, the babysitter is one of those tall, muscular and stunning men with a kind smile and sleek glasses perched upon the brink of his nose. A carrier of the infuriatingly-handsome-but-also-despairingly-endearing conclusion, Rin has a problem with this man.


Kindly settle the reading format as 1/2 for a better reading experience.

Enjoy.

* * *

Rin is a busy student.

He recently just turned eighteen – has a lot of parties to attend, a driving license to achieve, homework to do and swimming practice to perform. He is protective when it comes to his siblings – the two twin relatives Gou and Riku that are at the age of seven, but there is no time for him to stay at home during the evenings, because he has other things to do.

His father passed away years ago, and his mother is an executive who travels around the world quite frequently. Lately, she has gone off on trips to different exotic countries for the sake of her work, which means she is rarely home. It may be taken as an irresponsible action considering the household, and Rin thinks as much too, being left behind with two piss-pot annoying, magenta-haired devils along with their sly grins and ever-lasting energy.

Not to put them in a bad light, because Rin does love his siblings - but just as lovely they can be, just as infuriatingly annoying they may appear as too.

Therefore, when he is buying groceries one day in the local supermarket, his eyes notice the adverts hanging in the end of the store. 'Looking for a babysitter?' one of them says, and Rin cannot help but to slant back and take a further look on it.

'Looking for a babysitter?

Hello, I am a twenty-two-year-old student, Makoto Tachibana.

I'm in a dire need of money and will gladly do some extra work in my free time.

I'll be glad to look out for your son, daughter or smaller relatives. I'm good with children, seeing as I'm the older brother of a pair of twins at the age of twelve.

I live in the town just some blocks away from the market here in one of the apartments just in case.

Payment is negotiable.

Address: - -

Phone number: -'

It is simple and neatly written, and two strips of the offered phone numbers have already been taken. Rin scrunches his nose up and looks on it in consideration, not knowing if it will be worth the money. But then again, why not?

Might as well.

When Rin takes one of the strips, he is not one just to hire anyone who comes sashaying into ones apartment and throws with the toddlers here and there. When he gets home and prepares the dinner, he writes down a few questions he would like to ask the babysitter before hiring him, if he really will do so.

After dinner, he takes the strip and dials the number, lining the phone up to his ear.

He does not expect the man's voice to be like a soft rumble – strangely gentle but deep at the same time. Comforting, somehow.

''Makoto here.''

''Hey, is this Makoto—Tachibana? ''

''Yes, it is.''

''All right, so I've seen your advert in the supermarket just today. I've got a pair of twin siblings at the age of seven that I cannot always take care of in the evenings, seeing as I have some things to attend and work to do. My name is Rin, by the way.''

''Sounds great, Rin. I've got a pair of siblings of my own, as you may already know,'' Makoto tuts conversationally, and Rin kind of likes him already.

Before Rin can continue, Makoto bids in with a: ''Do you have any questions for me? You might want to 'interrogate' me before letting me take care of them.''

Rin chuckles at this, scratching his nape as he glances at the notepad where he has written the questions down.

For some reason, they end up talking for more than an hour or so. Rin did not plan to go that far, but they end up discussing music tastes and things alike, and Rin had nearly been laughing his ass off when Makoto at first thought he was a busy family father with too much work to do.

He tells him he is just a student and that he needs to study too, as well as join in on his swimming practice, seeing as he recently has been scouted and has to train harder than before, being an elite swimmer and all.

Makoto is available to take care of the kids already the day after tomorrow, but will come over the next day just to meet up with them and introduce himself to the kids.

Rin feels strangely excited to meet Makoto, not having the knowledge of how his looks – but only knows what his voice sounds like.

* * *

He forgets about it later on though, and in the upcoming evening as he watches a comedy movie with Gou and Riku, the doorbell suddenly rings and Rin perks up, surprised.

Riku is sleepy and awakes with a start, humming a quick ''Whozzat?'', sounding alien as he jumps off the sofa and runs into the hall in order to open the front door. Rin yells after him because the little shit should just stay put, he thinks, but he sighs in defeat and raises himself, needing to shy Gou off him, who has fallen asleep on his lap.

He hears that gentle voice from the phone call - coming from the hall. When he follows suit and walks there, the first thing he sees is a broad and tall figure stand in the doorframe. The sun is going down outside, and rays stream in through the door, making it hard for Rin to see the man properly.

The man – or Makoto, squats down to get roughly on the same level as Riku, tilting his head as he says ''And you must be Riku?'', baring a kind smile – seemingly not having noticed Rin yet. Riku looks quizzical, before smiling proudly as he points at himself with a ''yes! Thas´ me,'' still drawling since he recently lost a few of his milk teeth.

Makoto chuckles and introduces himself lightly, holding his hand out to greet the little redhead. Riku looks dazedly at the hand before grabbing it, examining it intently with a ''wow, your hand is so big!'', making Makoto laugh again.

The sun evens out in the background, and Rin stands as if frozen in the other end of the hall, viewing the scene in front of him.

For some reason, his heart is beating fast inside his chest, and he feels bubbly all over by watching the scene – seeing how Riku responds easily, despite usually being reserved – opening up to the stranger this quickly.

Makoto himself, however, is a whole another story.

He is tall and muscular; the sleeves snug around his biceps as he points at himself and tells Riku who he is more precisely. His hair is cropped and short, but boyish and fits him. He has got a faint stubble, and dimples shape on his cheeks when he grins again. Upon his nose, a pair of sleek glasses are perched, and he lets Riku try them on when he makes grabby hands at them.

Rin snaps out of his daze when Gou comes behind him and tugs in his hoodie, murmuring a soft ''Rin, who's that?''

At this, Makoto looks up; mildly surprised to see the others there. He raises himself, blinking his eyes because Riku still has his glasses.

Rin forgets what he is supposed to stay and blinks too until Gou tugs in his hoodie again, and he clears his throat and extends his hand to greet Makoto as he walks up to him. Gou follows suit, hand still clenched in his shirt.

''Oh god, I almost forgot you were supposed to come,'' he says in honesty, smiling toothily at the other. Makoto looks distracted for a moment, until he does that thing – the angelic smile as he shakes Rin's hand, and Rin tries not to secretly interpret how comfortable and soft his hand is.

''That's okay,'' Makoto says and chuckles when Riku comes running with the glasses and then past them, yelling something unintelligible about the world being blurry.

''Makoto,'' he introduces himself.

''Rin.''

They stand like that for a while.

''They're cute,'' he says, fondly – and Rin cannot help but to smile.

''Yeah, when on show, at least,'' also fond, but with a hint of knowing annoyance. ''They're impossible to get to bed, though,'' and he grunts in dismay by thinking that has to tuck them in bed soon.

He bids the taller in, makes him some tea, and drinks some coffee himself. They talk about the twins, and Rin explains him what is necessary to know about them. Gou and Riku come in once in a while to look at Makoto or say hi, and Rin can see how Gou blushes a little and seems a bit intrigued by his presence altogether, smiling widely even with her missing front teeth on display as Makoto introduces himself to her too.

Subsequently, Makoto and Rin continue chatting back and forth. Rin does not know if it is supposed to be like this. He solely thought before that it was all about settling down the important parts and then there were no more to it, but right now he wants to know some more about Makoto.

He feels silly when he already wants to stay home there when Makoto offers to take care of the kids in four hours tomorrow, but he has swimming practice to attend. They discuss the payment and comes to an affordable agreement.

Rin still does not know how it works and all, but none of them make any hints that Makoto should leave and let this be what it is – the one hiring and the worker coming to an agreement , but they sit and laugh together, talking about their current studies.

Apparently, Makoto is actually studying to become a kindergarten teacher, and says that working as a babysitter in the meantime is also meant to educate him too. It explains Rin why Makoto is already so good at communicating with Gou and Riku.

Gou is very approachable, although shy – but loves meeting new people, while Riku is more the laid-back (but ever energized) type you will have to warm up to before he will let one in. It seems like the opposite today though, because Gou is the one who is laid-back, while Riku jumps around and wants to do everything.

Amidst their talking, Rin forgets about the time and nearly jumps a meter in the air when Gou comes in with a doll in her hand and wants to play – **9 pm**, where they are originally supposed to be asleep. ''Gou, you were supposed to sleep now!'' Rin reasons, groaning as he pokes her forehead and she pokes him back, pouting. ''I'm a grownup,'' she responds, crossing her arms as she gives Rin a mean glare.

''Right, a responsible adult,'' the older retorts and ruffles her hair, making her swat at his hands, giggling all the while, though.

Makoto stands in the background and watches as Rin tucks them in bed. It is a little harder with Riku, who howls and shakes on his head, saying he is not tired. They are both getting in the age where they test the limits and rules a bit more frequently than they usually have done in their earlier years, and Rin has to raise his voice sometimes and become slightly unreasonable here and there.

It takes ten minutes to herd Riku to sleep, but Rin manages nonetheless, and he closes the door to his room with a sigh, groaning as he rests his back against it and slumps a bit there.

''They're in that age,'' he huffs and rolls his eyes, and Makoto has to hold a fist in front of his mouth to stifle the laughter bubbling from his throat. ''I think you're doing fine, though. Seems like you have a lot of responsibility yourself – making sure they get to school and all, as well as tucking them in bed.''

Rin becomes quiet at this, because well – it is true. He has quite the responsibility to carry, to make sure they are doing fine – to walk the both of them to school although he has to hurry with the train just ten minutes later.

Nevertheless, it is a routine, so Rin has never noticed what a strain it is sometimes on him, the hold it takes after a while.

He shrugs. ''That's just how it is,'' and he sighs, furrowing his brows. Makoto's eyes soften.

Then, a smile perches upon Rin's lips. ''Do you always stay this late at work?'' arching a playful brow – ''or become so friendly with the ones that hire you?''

Makoto tenses up and he actually blushes – just faintly, scratching a patch of skin close to his throat. ''Well, not really – but, well-'' he reasons, looking puzzled himself. ''I don't know. It just happened, I guess,'' and he is right, because Rin does not know what is going on either, or why Makoto still lingers in the apartment. This is literally the first time they meet up, and all Rin needs is an extra hand to take care of the twins when he cannot do so himself, but now he feels intrigued in a person he has barely known for a day.

''You're hired,'' is all Rin says, and Makoto smiles.

* * *

Having Makoto there makes everything a lot easier.

In fact, Rin has never felt this relieved in a long, long time. He suddenly has the time to study and to train, but can also come home to receive a hug and tackle form his siblings while Makoto stands in the background, chuckling softly.

The kids love Makoto, and Rin notices all these things about him. How he will subconsciously lean down one way or another or squat so that he is always on the same level as the children, making sure they are on the same terms no matter what circumstances he is nestled amidst. He also helps them with learning the alphabet and things alike, starting with small steps. He reads stories to them and bakes with them too – all these normal things Rin has never had the time to do with them.

Their way of handling the twins are very different, because while Rin is playful and snarky, Makoto is calm and patient – ever angelic. The way they all interact sometimes make something inside Rin's chest churn in a bubbly way.

He is surprised to find out that Makoto is a part-time swimming instructor as well – coaching children at old Sasabe's place, now that Gou and Riko are joining in too since they have pledged to try it out.

It is not as if Makoto is there every day, but he comes roughly three times a week or so, and the payment is fair to Rin. He pays with his mother's money though, so there is no harm there. His mother knows of Makoto and treasures the idea. She is fond, a little hasty – but Rin misses her nonetheless, and so does the children, whose eyes gleam when Rin mentions that mom is on skype so they can contact her and do a video chat. Once a week, they will hold a little meeting and all sit on the couch as they skype with her, asking how the week has gone by and everything.

* * *

Sometimes, Rin is actually excited to get to see Makoto whenever the doorbell rings or he arrives late at home, opening the door to find Makoto and the children sprawled on the floor with color books and crayons.

There are times where Makoto only goes home late, even as the kids have been tucked in bed and it is just the two of them, Rin and Makoto, drinking some warm tea as they discuss or listen to music.

The talking goes beyond that, because they exchange phone numbers and text in their free time, surprised to see that they have many things in common – despite being two very different people.

Makoto attends one of the relays one day, as Rin has no knowledge of him doing so – and when Rin wins his round of butterfly, slamming the finish pedestal with his hand in an overjoyed roar and a toothy grin, he is surprised to spot Makoto stand in the crowd, smiling to him. It makes something flutter in his chest too, because he sees how Riko and Gou are standing on each side of him, holding his hands as they wave down at Rin excitedly. That day, Rin had only told Makoto that he had an important relay to attend – not where it was to be held or anything alike, and that Makoto only had to look after the twins for a few couple of hours if he was available.

When Rin has to introduce Makoto to his mother when she comes home again for a week, he feels like he is introducing his older, mature boyfriend or something alike. His mother bids him in and welcomes him to dinner, saying such things as ''Rin has told me so much about you'' and so on, making Rin squirm in his seat and a blush burn along his jaw.

Rin has had a few flings before. He has gotten drunk and made some skewed hand jobs and tried some fun here and there, and has dated both guys and girls – until he found out that he finds guys more alluring. He has been in love before, but then again – not really. Not like this. Things with Makoto are just different from anything else he has experienced. However, Makoto is also more mature than what the other people had been.

Because, well, Makoto is a gentle person with perhaps the biggest heart of them all (and a cock that matches the size of that, Rin finds out one day when Makoto lends the shower and comes out to fetch a towel). He is a softie – is naïve and a scaredy cat, but gentle and carries a humane wisdom and the gift of having godly looks – stuck in the physique of a vessel with rough hands and broad shoulders.

The change is bound to happen. One day, Rin finds out that he is badly – as in unstoppably much in love with Makoto. There is no other way to explain it – these feelings, this excitement. Makoto makes his heart pound painfully in his chest, makes him happy and makes him feel acknowledged like never before, and it is driving him crazy. The realization dawns upon him when he takes a survey one day in school – one about finding love during high school and everything, now that it is his last year there.

It catches up on him when they ask questions like Are there someone out there who makes you feel light and happy just by seeing them?Innocent questions that make these thoughts emerge in his head where everything he can portray are the memories of Makoto smiling at him. It does not make it any better that just when he answers the last question, he feels his phone vibrate against his leg and he reads a message that says **'Do you want to go watch a movie in the weekend with the twins?' **– coming from no one but the brunette Rin holds in his mind.

Rin even asks if Makoto babysits for anyone else, whereas Makoto laughs somehow awkwardly – embarrassed as he shakes on his head. He says that he stopped doing so with the others, and devotes most of his time to Riko and Gou, who, in the evenings, jump around Rin and asks when will Makoto come and visit again, always.

* * *

In the weekend after they have watched the premiere of the brand new movie (Winne the Pooh returns or something - Rin nearly slept through it), they spend the rest of the evening at home playing card games. At last, they watch another movie that Riku certainly wants to see, insisting that he can watch it all without falling asleep. They make twenty minutes into the movie before both Gou and Riku are all huddled up in the middle between the older ones, dozing off there.

Rin groans and pokes Riku in the cheek, whereas he only gets a tired mutter in return. Makoto carries Gou to bed, while Rin takes a hold of the other. Gou wakes up amidst it though and suddenly demands a bedtime story, and Rin is beyond done with their constant change of opinions, do's and don't's, so he groans and flumps down on the bed next to her, murmuring a ''do it yourself'', because he has done it so many times already just this week.

Makoto chides Rin gently and takes the turn this time, placing himself on the edge of Gou's bed as he lets her pick what story they should read this time.

''But I read that one for you yesterday,'' Rin says, scrunching his nose up.

''I want that one!'' Gou whines and Rin demands the third one to be read instead because he has not read that one before – causing Gou to raise her voice – and oh god, now Riku is awake too.

Makoto, however, saves the day and chooses a random one he finds interesting, and because Makoto is like light in Gou's eyes, she only agrees and huddles between Rin's legs, nestling up in her blanket – ready for a bedtime story. Riku joins in and sits between Makoto's legs then, which makes Gou lament as they quarrel in regards as to who gets to sit with Makoto.

Rin makes them calm down by saying that if they do not quiet down he will seat himself between Makoto's legs and then the twins can sleep on the floor or something, and Makoto latches into a laughing fit beside him.

When the both of the twins are soundly asleep, Rin and Makoto sit in the living room on the couch in each end, watching some of the weird television that can only be seen when it is late and no one is in control of the stations. Rin throws glances towards Makoto askew, and this is where he once more realizes how painfully much he is in love with him.

In love with everything about him – his perfect imperfections and unselfish way of being selfish sometimes.

Rin is turning nineteen in just a week and Makoto turned twenty-three two months ago, and he has known Makoto for nearly a year now.

He is young and feels nervousness simmer under his skin as he puts his cup down on the sofa table, drawing Makoto's attention to him.

With Rin, actions have always spoken louder than words.

It does this time as well.

He is tired of waiting, of pining – because he is madly in love and he cannot put it on the lower shelf anymore, so he tugs in Makoto's blouse all of sudden, clambering between his legs as Makoto is sprawled on his back there. Makoto looks surprised up at him, but does not shove him away when he leans in and kisses his lips softly.

Instead, the redhead is surprised when Makoto cards his fingers through his bangs, loosening his ponytail. They do not say anything as they move. It is all said through the movements of their hands, the way Rin trails his fingers down the taller's biceps, kneads them there to feel the skin – to feel Makoto here, under him and present. Makoto slips his tongue in between Rin's lips and straddles the roof of his mouth, drawing small mewls from him and jerky movements of pleasure that jolts his body and makes him press down against Makoto – wanting friction.

Makoto's hands are trembling as he run the flat of his large hands down the other's taut stomach, caressing the soft skin there. Before he knows of it, Rin's mouth is on his again, and then move against each other, fumbling with their clothes until they end up lying naked together there, huddled in each other's warmth. They make sure to keep quiet so that they do not wake up the twins, and Rin's mother is not home, so there are no worries there.

They kiss for what seems like hours, with their arousals trapped between their bodies and flexing abdominals - legs tangled as Rin arches in the little of his back to grind against Makoto. They breathe into each other's mouths and when the other seems to draw away, they catch up on each other again quickly afterwards. Rin nibbles on some skin here and there in playful gestures, making them share small laughs because of the gestures.

They do not do more than that – kissing, hugging and grinding – and end up falling asleep on the couch while tangled up in each other's presence.

* * *

They both wake up the following morning to the sound of Riku running around in the apartment, as well as when he comes over and pokes at them, asking them as for what they are doing - why are they not wearing clothes? Gou comes in and her eyes widen, holding a hand in front of her mouth as she gasps.

''They are **fucking**,'' she yells, and Riku screams about how disgusting they are and runs away to hide in his room, while Rin is busy asking Gou where she has learnt such words.

All the while, Makoto latches into another laughing fit in the background.


End file.
